Katniss&Finnick
by odairology
Summary: A Katnick/Finniss fanfic set in the 74th Hunger Games. Katniss is a 16 year old living in District 12, and Finnick is a 16 year old living in District 4. A story of a doomed love. There is 13 chapters all together!
1. Chapter 1

**This is my Katniss and Finnick fanfic. I've already written the whole thing, and I will update chapters about every 3/4 days. Leave me reviews, follow me, and if you like it, favourite :D Most of all, I hope you all enjoy it!**

Katniss' POV

"Happy Hunger Games- and may the odds be ever in your favour." The voice of Effie Trinket echoed through District 12, amplified by the huge speakers suspended around the village square. It was a humid day, the sun bearing down on the population of the district. The flies were out in their thousands, buzzing around the faces of everyone. All this was a minor distraction to the 249 boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 18, standing in the square. It was reaping day for the 74th annual Hunger Games.

And I was feeling sick to my stomach. This was my 5th year of eligibility for the Games, so my name was automatically in 5 times. Unfortunately, I had been forced to take out tesserae –a helping of grain and oil to assist in keeping a family- several times. So my name had ended up in there 14 times.

As Effie Trinket, in her tight pink dress, ridiculously high heels and coral wig, tottered over to the girls reaping ball, I looked desperately at the mass of slips in there. My chances were 14 in thousands. Were the odds actually in my favour?

But as Effie plucked a slip from the bowl, staggered back to the microphone, opened the small piece of paper and read the name in her strong Capitol accent, I knew that they weren't.

The odds are not in my favour.

Finnick's POV

It was a cold day in District 4. A day where all work had been abandoned, and my family and I had travelled the 500 miles from our home to the centre of District 4. This was a huge district, and all 1,046 of the kids between 12 and 18 were packed into our square. Pearl Tyler, our district advisor, stood on the stage outside the Justice Building. She wasn't particularly pretty, but she was smitten with me.

I never understood it- just because I'm above average of most of the boys in this district. Don't any of these girls look for personality?

Still, I'm worshipped by every girl here, and even now, when Pearl is just seconds away from announcing which girl was been condemned to death this year, most of the girls are still staring at me.

Suddenly, Pearl is reading a name.

"Violet Fenugreek."

All the eyes flicked to this unlucky girl. She's plain looking, with auburn hair and grass green eyes. Tears spilt over her long black lashes as she walked up onto the stage. Pearl tried to speak to her for a while, but soon abandoned the idea, as Violet seemed unable to form words for shock. Pearl collected a name from the boy's bowl, and pulled it open. Before I knew it, she was reading the name.

And now, even the boy's eyes are on me.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all for your reviews on the last chapter, they were lovely to read! Here is Chapter 2, enjoy!**

Katniss' POV

As I stumble up the steps to join Effie, I can't keep my emotions in check. There's no way to describe hearing your name read out. I can't hear anything; I'm surprised I can still work my legs. Eyes are boring into me from all sides. Effie asks me if I'm ok, but I can't form words. It's a stupid question anyway. She gives up and collects a slip from the boy's bowl. She stands back next to me and reads the name. I barely register in, and just pick it out from the screams in my head.

"Jackson Lagger."

I've never heard of him. This is probably good- he'll be easier to kill.

Because that's my aim now. I'm winning this thing, for my mum and sister. Irealise I haven't looked for them yet. I scan the crowd, and spot them. Prim, my sister, is crying alone while my mum hugs Jackson's mum. I guess they knew each other. I want to tell my mum to comfort Prim, to leave the woman whose son I have to kill. But Effie is telling me to shake hands with Jackson and I turn to look at him for the first time. He's quite good looking really, with shoulder length brown hair and almost black eyes. He looks about 18, muscular and tough. Maybe he will be on to look out for after all. He has a firm grip when he shakes my hand, and his eyes sink into me, looking 1,000 years old.

"Ladies and gentlemen, District 12's tributes!" Effie shrieks.

And I look out across my district for what might be the last time.

Finnick's POV

I notice three girls pass out at the reading of my name. I know how they feel. I never dreamt I'd be picked. I don't know why- I had just as much of a chance as anyone. I'm 16, so my name is already in there 5 times, plus an extra three for times I'd got into trouble with the Peacekeepers. My friend Carter gives me a push, and my legs start moving. Pearl looks on the edge on tears, clearly devastated I've been chosen to die like this. The day suddenly seems a lot hotter, and I'm sweating. I reach Pearl, and somehow stick a smile on my face. She seems to find this quite attractive, and blushes bright pink uner her Capitol make up.

"So how're you feeling?" she asks me. I think of a way to respond sincerely to this ridiculous question.

"Oh, I'm very upset," I reply, adding a slight touch of sarcasm to my voice.

"Why's that?" she says, blushing even more. That's an even stupider question. If I was being serious here, the answer is totally obvious. But I'm not being serious. Because I'm not upset. I'm not scared. I'm going to win.

"Because now, I'll never be able to ask out the girl of my dreams." And I point randomly into the crowd of girls. About 30 of them start hyperventilating; sure I'm talking about them.

Pearl is crying now, sobbing loudly into a large pink handkerchief. Then she announces us District 4's tributes for this year, and there's deafening applause.

But it's not for Violet. My district wants me to win.


	3. Chapter 3

**This is Chapter 3, it's a lot longer just so you guys don't get bored waiting for the Games to start Enjoy!**

Katniss' POV

I'm ushered into a small room in the Justice Building. It's boiling in here: it must be about 50 degrees. The furniture is drab, all a faded coffee colour that smells of mould. I wonder how many tributes were brought in here, later to die at the hands of others.

The meeting with my mother and Prim is sad and brief. They cry, I try not to. All too soon, they're gone. Jackson and I are put on the train and we're speeding off to the Capitol. Jackson isn't in the same carriage as me. I don't know whether he's requested this or whether they thought we shouldn't be together. There are piles of food, but I'm still feeling a little sick. I switch on the TV and catch the coverage of the reaping. They're up to District 3, where a small 12 year old girl is picked. I notice how much she looks like Prim. I fall asleep after this, until I'm woken by Effie. The coverage has reached District 10, where a 15 year old blonde girl named Atalle is picked, and a young black haired boy named Riley. There's drama in District 11 when a small girl named Petal is picked, and her hysterical older sister Apple volunteers for her. Then an older boy named Brute is chosen, and it moves swiftly onto us. Seeing me walk up onto the stage is very surreal. I see the horror on my eyes and have to escape to my room. I decide to take a shower, and take my time doing so. I dress in new clothes and go to the dining room for dinner. A strange sight meets my eyes. Jackson is sat at the table, incredibly smartly dressed, laughing and joking with Effie. It's far too happy a scene for the situation. He turns to look at me, and a smile spreads across his face,

"Hello, Katniss," he says in a booming voice. "Won't you join us?"

Finnick's POV

Pearl takes my hand, a little too affectionately, and leads me into a spacious, airy room in the Justice Building. She doesn't speak, just cries. I don't know why she's crying- I'm the one who should be crying. But strangely, I'm not. Maybe it hasn't hit me yet.

While I wait for my family, I look around the room I've been put in. Everything is blue. I've really come to hate that colour. With us being the fishing district, blue is the colour you see everywhere. It's so boring. There's a blue carpet, a blue patterned wall and every piece of furniture is blue. I'm wondering if the rest of the building is blue, when my parents walk in. My mum is crying, and my dad just looks desperate. I'm swept up in my mothers' arms as she blubs into my shoulder.

"Oh Finn," she wails. "My boy, my poor boy! I love you baby, I love you."

"It's ok mum," I say, patting her back. "I'm ok." She pulls away, her make up smeared by the tears.

"You're strong Finn. You can do this. Your dad taught you how to use spears and tridents and stuff for fish, you've got the skills. You can win."

I nod. I don't know what to say. In the end, I just settle with "I'll try."

My dad barely has times to pat me on the back and wish me luck before their taken away and I'm on the train to the Capitol. I sit with Violet watching the TV reaping's. I see the Careers be picked; Bravo and Glamour from District 1, Fox and Anise from District 2. All four look strong, fierce and ready to kill. I see Violet and I be picked, with comments on how my good looks will get me sponsors. I scoff. I watch the next five districts up to 9 be picked, with the only people I see to be any real opponents being a bulky 17 year old named Cole from District 5, a brother and sister (hard luck) named Hank and Magdalena who look pretty lethal, and a small but strong looking girl named Aurelia from District 8. After this, I stop watching.

A few hours later an unfamiliar woman walks in. She's introduced by Pearl as Toria, out mentor. Toria looks about 25, with chocolate brown eyes and mousey hair. I suppose she's kind of pretty, but not my type. Unfortunately, I see the look in her eyes change the seconds she sees me. For goodness sake, I think. How many more people are going to fall in love with me?

There are only a few more hours until we reach the Capitol, so I eat a small meal with Violet, Pearl and Toria. I realise I'm surrounded by girls. Suddenly I hear an immense screaming and I run to the window. What a sight meets my eyes.

Katniss' POV

It would be lying to say I'm not unnerved by Jackson's sudden niceness. Alarm bells are ringing in my head that something is wrong here. I have no doubt that this is part of some plan. But I might as well play along. I smile as sweetly as he does.

"Sure." I reply. I sit down with him and Effie, and for the first time notice another presence at the table. A middle aged man with greasy blond hair and blue eyes is sat opposite me.

"I don't believe we've met," he drawls. "I'm Haymitch, your mentor." His words are slurred and he reeks of alcohol. He's drunk. Great.

"Hi," I reply shortly. "I'm Katniss."

And that's it. The rest of the meal is spent in silence. It's so uncomfortable that I excuse myself before I've eaten my fill. I explore my room a bit more. It's advanced beyond anything I've ever seen. I pick up a small electronic disc, and find out completely by accident that we have just over 10 hours before we arrive in the Capitol. I know I should get some sleep. The sheets are soft silk, with some kind of padding that's blissfully warm. I sink into an undisturbed, dreamless sleep. I wake in the morning to a knock on my door. A quick glance at the clock tells me there's little more than an hour until we arrive. I remember the knock.

"Yes?" I shout.

"I just wanted to tell you to come to breakfast! As soon as possible please!" says Effie.

I drag myself out of bed. There's no time for a shower, but they'll probably wash me in the Capitol. I splash cold water on my face and dress in a blue top and black trousers. I reach the dining room and impressive 10 minutes after waking. Jackson is dressed similarly to me. Again, they're laughing together like some scene from a mushy film. I tell myself not to be fooled. I sit next to Effie and help myself to some bread and butter without paying much attention to the others. They return the favour, and talk amongst themselves. I exchange a few words with Jackson, when he asks about my old life. I ask him the same questions back, listening politely to his answers. Suddenly I hear screams and cheers. Jackson rushes to the window, and begins to wave.

"Katniss come and see!" I go to join him, and see the mass of Capitol citizens outside. They wave, and I can't help but wave back.

"Keep that up," says Haymitch, who seems sober. "And you'll have no trouble getting sponsors."

Finnick's POV

At the sight of me, I crowds of Capitol girls who line the streets scream even louder. t's getting dark, but there still must be thousands of them. I'm told by pearl that's it's time to go, so Violet and I are led through the crowds to the bright lights of the Training Centre. A few girls try to throw themselves at me, only to be restrained by the guards. By the times we've been taken into the building, shoved into the lift, sent to the 4th floor (for District 4) and been shown around out home for the next week, it's 11pm. Pearl sends us to bed, but I would have gone anyway. I realise how tired I am.

As I lie in my soft, welcoming bed, all the emotions of the day come flooding back to me. The nerves before the reaping, the shock of being picked, the sadness of leaving my parents and the rush of the last few hours. And now, I'm lonely. I miss home, I miss my familiar little bed, and I miss my parents. I miss the throng of girls at school that followed me everywhere and wrote my name all over their school books. Tears come to my eyes as I think of never seeing them again. I wipe them furiously. No. I can't cry. I have to be strong. I try to throw myself into sleep, but I'm too worked up now. I decide to go for a walk. As I wander the corridors, I find a door that leads to a small balcony. I sit in the fresh night air, sorting through my emotions. I hear a noise behind me and jump up. Violet stands there, looking sheepish.

"Sorry. Did I startle you?" she asks in an almost musical voice.

"It's fine."

"Can I sit here?" she asks shyly. I smile, realising she must be feeling as emotionally messed up s me.

"Sure," I tell her. She sits next to me.

"You feeling shaken up too?" I ask. She seems to relax, happy that I'm ok with her being there.

"Yeah. Couldn't sleep. Thinking about stuff too much."

I look over at her, but she isn't looking at me. She's looking out across the Capitol, the bright lights reflecting off her shiny green eyes.

"So what's your story?" she asks. It's a brave question, and I can see she's biting her lip, maybe regretting asking it.

"I don't really have one," I reply dismissively.

"Everyone has a story." She's looking right at me now, deadly serious.

"Well, I'm 16. I'm from the very south of District 4. I live - lived – with my parents. That's it really." I finish with a shrug.

"No siblings?" she enquires.

"I had a little brother. Artie. He died two years ago. He was only 5." My voice breaks at the end. I can't cry in front of Violet, but the memories of Artie are so fresh it hurts.

"I'm so sorry," says Violet. I've never seen anyone look so guilty.

"Don't be," I reply kindly. "So, what about you? What's your story?" She thinks about this for a second.

"Ok. I'm 15. I'm from the centre of District 4, right by where the reaping happened. I lived with my aunty and sister. My parents died when I was 2. I don't remember them," she says.

"I guess neither of us had the most exciting life ever," I laugh. She giggles. I rise to my feet.

"Well, I'm going to sleep now. Night, Violet." And I smile widely at her.

"Goodnight, Finnick," she replies, smiling back. She has a lovely smile.

I walk back to my room, climb into bed, and sink effortlessly into a lovely sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm making this chapter a bit shorter so I can leave it on a cliff-hanger, but the next chapter will be longer again so I can get to the Games. PLEASE KEEP REVIEWING, it makes me really happy to see them. Thank you to my regulars who read every time I update, I love you. Remember, enjoy, follow, favourite **

Katniss' POV

"Isn't this simply wonderful?!" squeals Effie in delight. We're standing in our apartment in the Training Centre. It's around 3pm, and we've been brought back for a snack before we're prepared for the chariot rides. All this morning, from the minute we arrived, I've been washed, scrubbed, dried and had countless other cosmetic procedures carried out on me. Although I feel clean with my soft, fragrant hair and pink, glowing skin, it somehow doesn't feel right. I'm used to the grime of District 12.

"Well, I'll leave you two to explore," Effie tells us, and she scurries off with Haymitch. As we were the last district to arrive we were thrown straight into preparations, and I'm tired. I just want to sleep.

I sit down and the wooden table and look at the food that's been laid out. It all looks so good. Effie comes bustling back in.

"Change of plan. Your stylists want you know," she chirps. I sigh, and put down the bread roll I wanted to bite. I trail after Jackson and the others back to the elevator that will whizz us back down the ground floor. I'm led into a small room labelled "Tribute Prep G12". I assume this identifies me as the girl from District 12.

My stylist, a young man called Cinna, had made this little room his own. I guess it's kind of like his office. Designs are spread out all over the floor, some of them brought to life hanging on racks around the room. A full length mirror stands in one corner, a dressing table next to it.

"Sorry for bringing you down early," Cinna says from behind me. "This is going to take a little more prep than we thought."

He's very friendly and gentle as he dresses me in a tight black suit. As he goes, he tells me how he's going to set my suit alight with artificial flames so I look like a piece of burning coal, representing us being the coal mining district. When he's dressed me, he braids my hair and adds smoky tones of black to my eyes. I look quite good. Cinna tells me to sit for a while, and he returns after about half an hour. He tells me to follow him. I walk behind him down the corridor, seeing lots of other tributes leave their prep rooms with their stylists. After a short walk we arrive in a large warehouse where 12 magnificent chariots are waiting. I spot Jackson with his stylist Portia waiting by the carriage. It's the first time I've seen the other tributes in real life. The Careers look stereotypically terrifying, and I notice a few other strong looking tributes dotted around. I'm just stroking one of the big brown houses that are going to pull our chariots when I hear a cheerful voice behind me.

"Hello!" it says.

Finnick's POV

I wake in the morning to find my room full of people. Pearl and Toria are talking to an unfamiliar man and woman, two Capitol servants are stood next to my bed and Violet is sat in the corner looking awkward.

"What's going on?" I ask. Pearl turns to look at me.

"Oh, Finnick! You're awake! Come on, get up quickly now. We have a busy day ahead of us!" I pull myself out of bed, and notice Pearl, Toria, the unfamiliar woman and Violet's faces change and their eyes widen. I realise I'm shirtless.

"Maybe you should get dressed," Pearl squeaks, suddenly seeming a bit breathless.

"Or not," whispers Toria as they leave. I roll my eyes.

And I'm alone. I dress quickly and get washed. By the time I reach breakfast it's gone 11am and I hear that the last of the tributes have just arrived. After breakfast I'm taken down in the elevator to a large, spacious room. It's painted in a clinical white, and the room is full of drawers and cabinets. In the middle is a large chair with a table covered with medical instruments next to it. I'm told to sit, and three people dressed in surgeons outfits descend on me. One of them is instructed to undress me, and from the way they go about it, I guess she's female.

The next few hours consist of these three people flitting around me, washing and cutting my hair, giving me a bath (twice), waxing my legs and chest, treating my skin with chemicals, and covering me with various creams and mousses. Eventually, I'm left in my underwear in a room labelled "Tribute Prep B4". The unfamiliar woman from earlier enters and introduces herself as Bree, my stylist. She says she's come to dress me for the chariot parade. She puts me in a Lycra suit that clings to my body. It's intricately decorated with an iridescent fish pattern, which she then copies onto any skin not covered by the suit. She puts a little bit of blue spray into my hair.

"Done," she says happily, stepping back to admire her work. I look in the mirror, and there's no denying how good I look. In this outfit, every female in Panem will fall head over heels for me.

Bree then leads me down the corridor to the warehouse. Our two crystal white horses wait by our carriage. Toria whispers her first good piece of advice in my ear.

"Make friends."

I don't need to hear anymore. I quickly scan the collection on tributes for potential allies. My eyes land of the District 12 girl. She looks striking in a shiny black suit and dark make up. Her stylist has done a great job. I scurry over to her, weaving my way through the other tributes. She's stroking one of the chariot horses. I see that her hair is an amazing dark brown, intricately braided round her head into an amazing pattern. I'm filled with a sudden courage.

"Hello!" I say.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone, sorry I haven't updated for a while, I've been on holiday :D Here is chapter 5, review, favourite and follow!**

Katniss' POV

I spin around, and the very first things I see are a pair of sea green eyes. Then, I take in the rest of the boy. He's decorated all over with a blue fish scale pattern, and he has a mop of bronze hair tinged with bits of blue. His perfect white teeth grin at me as he waits for a response.

"Hi," I reply. It doesn't come out as calmly as I planned. The plain gorgeousness of the boy is affecting my senses.

"What's your name?" he asks. A bit forward, I think. But I can't bring myself to care.

"Katniss. Katniss Everdeen," I say woodenly. There I relax a bit. "What about you?"

He's still smiling.

"Finnick Odair. Nice to meet you Katniss," and he shakes my hand.

"Nice to meet you too. You look…" I try to think. "Fishy." I finish. It's lame, but he laughs.

"I'll take that as a compliment. You look… well, beautiful."

Wow. Within less than a day of being in the Capitol a gorgeous boy comes up to me and calls me beautiful. Not too bad. I start blushing.

"Thanks," I reply, smiling but trying to stay cool. "So, I'm guessing you're from District 4?" I ask, glancing at his fishy outfit.

"You guessed it. And you're from 12? You look like some coal, but I mean that in a good way," he says, still trying to charm me. I should tell him it's already worked.

"Yeah. But this outfit isn't finished yet," I say mysteriously. Two can play at the charming game.

He raises one eyebrow questioningly. A part of me dies.

"Not finished?"

"You'll have to wait and see," I reply with an edge of cheekiness.

"Tributes into their chariots please," comes a booming announcement.

"See you later Katniss," Finnick says with a little wink. Then he runs back to his chariot. Cinna takes my hand and helps me into the carriage. Jackson stands next to me in an identical outfit. His prep team cut his hair so dramatically he's barely recognisable.

"30 seconds, tributes," says another announcement.

"Remember, smile and wave. Make an impression. You're trying to get sponsors." Haymitch reminds us. Cinna squeezes my hand.

"Good luck, Katniss," he whispers reassuringly. Just as the warehouse doors open, Cinna touches a flaming torch to our outfits and we're ablaze with artificial flames. He was right- I can't feel anything. Then our chariot begins to move and I'm thrust into the glaring lights of the Capitol.

Finnick's POV

She turns so quickly I barely see her move. I put on a winning smile as she looks me up and down.

"Hi," she replies warily. I ask her her name, and she asks mine in return. I now it's time to charm her, so when she jokes that I look 'fishy' I tell her she's beautiful.

This, actually, is very true.

She likes this, and asks me if I'm from District 4. I ask her if she's from 12, she confirms. She tells me that he outfit isn't finished, and I press her for more. She's trying to charm me back now, and tells me that I'll have to wait and see. Then they call us to our chariots and I have to go. I really hope I'll get the chance to talk to her again, I was originally looking for future allies, but I really like Katniss already. As I reach out chariot, they announce 30 seconds to go, Toria gives me some quick tips, and then it's time to get in. Pearl pats me on the back, probably more for her benefit than mine. Bree helps me up and I position myself next to Violet. She's shaking like a leaf so I reach out and squeeze her hand reassuringly. She smiles at me.

Then the huge warehouse doors open and the screams of the Capitol crowds come flooding in. Our chariot begins to move forward, following a young looking boy and girl in the chariot in front. We move out through the doors, and the bright lights hit me. I resist the urge to shield my eyes. I smile that wide smile that's won me so many girls, and wave. All I can hear is screaming. I begin to blow kisses to random people in the crowd. This proves very popular, so I carry on. I quickly glance at Violet to see how she is doing. She seems unsure, and just stands there woodenly, hands by her sides, looking nervously around her. I wish I could help her, but I need to come across strong and independent. I have my routine now- smile, wave, kiss, repeat. I can hear my name being shouted from all around me. After what seems like just a few minutes, we pull into the City Circle. President Snow wishes us luck, and we go into the Training Centre. Pearl, Toria, Bree, Violet's stylist, and both our prep teams descend on us immediately, full of praise- for me at least. They pat Violet on the back, trying to convince her it's okay, but she knows it's not. She looks on the edge of tears, and sure enough, when I'm on my way to the balcony that night, I hear her crying.

Katniss' POV

The chariot ride is a rush- our outfits go down very well, and we're showered with flowers and compliments. I sleep soundly that night, and for some reason, Finnick keeps featuring in my dreams. The next morning at breakfast Effie and Haymitch explain that over the next three days we will have training, and on the third day there will be a chance to perform a skill in front of the Gamemakers to receive a score. A Capitol servant arrives with our training outfits- dark blue t-shirt and trousers with bits of grey and red, and out district number on the sleeve. It's quite comfortable and easy to move in. It will be good for training. We go down in the elevator and go straight to the training room. I look around the vast and spacious area. There must be about 15 different stations, all with different skills to train at. Most of the tributes seem to already be here, but some are still arriving behind us.

"Katniss!" a voice calls. I look around for the source, and I spot Finnick on the other side of the room beckoning to me. He smiles as I approach.

"So, how did you find the chariots?" he asks.

"Oh, alright," I reply in a blasé tone.

"Really? Because it seemed to me that you caused a bit of an… inferno."

I smile. "You watched the repeats?"

"Oh yes. I had to see what I'm up against didn't I?" he says very cheekily.

"Attention tributes!" calls a tall, thin lady. "This is the Training Room. Over the next three days you will train in here, receiving help at each of our 16 stations," she explains. Then she reads out the list of stations, and I heard a few I'd like to try including knife work, climbing, shelter, and night survival. Over the day though, I try them and many more. I spend the majority of the time with Finnick, but I do some spear throwing and knot-tying with Jackson. I eat with Finnick in the big dining room next to the training room. He's very easy to talk to, and I begin to like him for and more. He's supportive and has a great sense of humour, which keeps me relaxed and cheery in this rather desolate time. The day after goes pretty much the same, and I end up visiting all of the stations. I spend some time with Celina, a blonde girl from District 6 who is my age. She's great at knife throwing and weight lifting, and I start to think she might be a good ally. However, during dinner that night during out "prep talks" from Haymitch, he gives us a stern and solid piece of advice.

"Don't trust anyone."


	6. Chapter 6

**This is quite long, so if you don't want to read it all, I understand! Just read what you want and review, favourite, follow!**

Finnick's POV

I get up a lot earlier than usual to ready myself for the upcoming training. I'm a little nervous, but I've been fishing with various weapons all my life. What's the difference between killing fish and killing people?

I take a long shower to clean my thoughts. At breakfast I notice Violet's eyes are still red and puffy. I want to talk to her, check she's okay, but there's no chance. We're whipped straight down to the Training Room. I look for Katniss straight away, but she hasn't arrived yet, so I take the opportunity to size up the other contestants. I recognise Cole, Hank and Brute from districts 5, 7 and 11, who are all built like houses. You get the feeling they could squash you into the ground with their little fingers. There's the tribute from 10, who I think is called Riley, and the boy from 6, who also look pretty strong, but young. As for the girls, I remember Anise, Magdalena and Aurelia from the televised reapings who looks just as lethal in real life. Most of the other girls look around 12 or 13. I feel sorry for them. Suddenly, I spot Katniss, and call her over to me. There isn't much time to talk before they call us to attention and set us off on the sations. I do most of them with Katniss but when she goes to do something with her district partner, I look elsewhere. I get talking to Cole, the 17 year old from District 5. He's nice, and certainly has the right attitude to the Games. I hope he'll consider me as an ally- along with Katniss of course. The next day, I complete the rest of the stations, generally with Katniss at my side. I get to know her really well over the days. It worries me that Violet is constantly by herself and is making no attempt to make friends, despite Toria's advice. I have to admit, Toria's come a long way from the giggly, silly woman that kept trying to flirt with me in the beginning. She's become helpful, serious and focused on giving us good advice. Unfortunately, Violet just hasn't taken it on. I hear her crying in her room again that night, and I have to stop myself from going in to comfort her. She won't last long in the arena.

But the next morning, I'm not sure how long she'll last anywhere.

Because Violet has gone missing.

Katniss' POV

Finnick seems distressed the next morning, but I don't have to ask why. It's impossible to miss the whispers that have spread through the Training Centre. Violet Fenugreek, Finnick's district partner, has gone missing. The woman who runs training is not there, and the usual collection of Gamemakers who watch us are also absent. Everyone is involved in the hunt for Violet. Except us. Training goes on as normal for us, for the morning at least. Theen the Gamemarkers will return for the private sessions. After talking to Finnick for most of the morning, trying to calm him, I spend the rest of the time up to lunchtime practising archery for my private session. Finnick isn't there at luncj, and I discover that he's been taken to be questioned about Violet. When he gets back I spend the afternoon with him up until he's called for his session.

"Good luck," I say, giving him a quick hug.

"Thanks," he smiles.

I go and sit with Jackson to wait for our turn. Violet should be next, but they smooth over her and call Cole from District 5. Slowly, each tribute is called until finally, it reaches Jackson. He gets up and leaves without a word and I sit quietly by myself. About 5 minutes later, I'm called. I walk in, my footsteps echoing in the large room.

"Katniss Everdeen, District 12," I announce. One of the Gamemakers gives me a nod, which I take as my signal to start. I run my hand over the smooth bow, and take an arrow. I hook the arrow in and pull the string. It's tighter than the one I've been practising with, but I let it fly and it hits the target in the middle. The Gamemakers look impressed, but I have a little more time. I take another arrow and position myself as far away from the target as I can- a good 70 metres. It's a massive risk- I've never shot at such a range before. The Gamemakers are watching me intently, not even blinking. One slip and I'm toast. I pull back the string and hold my breath. The arrow hits the target dead in the middle.

Finnick's POV

The third training day is a little shaky for me, but Katniss provides immense support. She's there most of the day, by my side, comforting me. At lunchtime I'm taken by a short, bald Gamemaker to be grilled about whether Violet told me where she was going, how she was acting, the last time I saw her, and much more. I answer it all truthfully. There's nothing else to do. I go into my session later with a good luck wish from Katniss, which calms me. I tie a net to a fake tree with a fancy knot, and then set a trap which entraps a fake dummy. I stick a spear in it for good measure. I look to the Gamemakers for approval, and they seem pleased. I go to my room to wait out the rest of the time before the scores, praying for Katniss.

Then Pearl comes to get me and I sit with everyone except Violet and watch. Bravo and Glamour from District 1 both earn a 9. From District 2, Fox gets an 8 and Anise pulls a 10. She must be good. Soon, it comes to me. My name flashes up, and then there's a silver number 9 underneath. Pearl, Toria and Bree shriek and praise me, and I'm really happy too. Cole gets an 8, confirming what I thought of his skills. Most of the young tributes only pull 3s or 4s, which must be heart-breaking for their families. Katniss' district partner only gets a 6, which surprises me. Maybe he just messed up under the pressure. Then Katniss' name flashes up, and I hold my breath. She gets a 10, and I can't help smiling in celebration for her. After the scores is a short televised update on Violet, with the Gamemakers trying to keep spirits up by saying they might be closer to finding her. I go to bed after that.

I don't feel like sleeping, so I take the time to read. We have interview prep all tomorrow, so I don't need to be particularly well-rested. However, at some point I drop off because I wake at 8am the next morning with my book still in my hands. Breakfast isn't officially until 10.30 but I go through at 10 hoping to grab some food early. It takes me two times to register who is sat at the table, wedged between Pearl and Toria and pinned to her seat by a bulky Capitol guard.

Violet.

"Hello Finnick," she says in a quaky voice. Her face is pale and drained, and somehow she looks thinner.

"Good morning Finnick," Pearl says in a very controlled voice. She looks angry. "Violet came back late last night and caused, well, quite a stir didn't you, darling?" Pearl takes a deep breath and closes her eyes for a few seconds. "By trying to jump off the balcony! Well that set off some alarms, and now this nice man has to go around with you, doesn't he sweetie?" Pearl is trying to keep up the pretence, but she's clearly livid underneath.

"Wait, _tried_ to throw herself off the balcony?" I ask in astonishment. "We're on the fourth floor!"

"We don't put the force field there for nothing you know! So don't you go getting any ideas Finnick!" Pearl snaps.

No fear, I think.

Katniss' POV

I get a goodnight's sleep that night, still drunk on the joy of my 10.

I hear the news very early the next morning that Violet has been found. Or rather, reappeared. According to Effie, she came back in the dead of night when everyone was asleep and tried to throw herself off the balcony. The force field threw her back and set off an alarm. Now she has to constantly have a bodyguard with her, and all our rooms are locked at night.

I don't see anybody except Haymitch and Effie for the rest of the day. Effie teaches me how to present myself physically, and Haymitch gives me lessons in presenting my personality. It's all tiring, but I know it will help me in our interviews. I have a few hours in the morning of the next day, which Effie uses to educate me in posture. She has me walking up and down the room with books on my head, and then has me do it in heels. She teaches me to smile in all the right places, and how I should correctly sit in the interview chair. She seems pleased with me when she finally passes me over to Haymitch. But Haymitch is a lot more tough this morning that he was yesterday, and pushes me a lot harder. We decided yesterday that my persona to put across would be "a fighter", a girl who has always had to fight for her family and life, and will continue to fight now. But in the hour Haymitch has with me this morning, he makes me _show_ it. He asks me loads of questions and I have to reply in an "a fighter" way. Not easy, but he keeps making me try. In the end, he says, "Just try and make them like you, okay?"

He hands me over to my prep team who work their wonders on me. Then Cinna arrives for the final touches. He looks over my hair and make-up, and then carefully slides my dress on. It's stunning. A long, red, silk item studded all over with sequins in just the right colours to make me look like a flame.

"Thank you," I say to Cinna, and I really mean it.

He takes me to the studio, and I sit nervously with Jackson to wait for my turn.

The only other person's interview I pay any attention to is Finnick's. He's very popular, and goes down very well with the ladies. He makes everyone laugh, and then also touches everyone's heart. He makes me feel privileged to know him. Soon it's my turn. I walk carefully out onto the stage, still unsure of what to do. But the host, Caesar Flickerman, is helpful and encouraging, asking questions that are easy to answer. He asks me about the Capitol, District 12, and then I get an unexpected question about Finnick.

"So, Katniss. I'm sure we've all noticed the amount of time you've been spending with Finnick Odair from District 4. Comments?"

I'm caught a little off guard, so I don't know how to answer. "Finnick is just a friend," I start, and then I realise I'm not sure. Is he just a friend? We know so much about each other now, and he called me beautiful. Plus, he's not too bad-looking himself. I settle on, "A really good friend."

"And do you see him as a potential ally for the arena?" Caesar asks. This needs no considering. I look straight into the cameras as if I'm looking at Finnick himself.

"I would be honoured."


	7. Chapter 7

Finnick's POV

I sail through my interview. I can't believe how easy I'm finding the questions. I don't know what I was expecting- complicated math or something- but the questions are just about me, and my life in District 4. Violet's interview is very awkward, especially seeing as Raul, her bodyguard, has to be there with her. Caesar carefully avoids her disappearance and suicide attempt, and find other things to talk about. Eventually, he just dismisses her earlier than her 3 minutes. The Gamemakers must be so angry with her for showing them up. I shudder to think what they'll do to her in the arena.

Cole comes across very well in his interview. Tough, strong-minded and brave. He comes out looking totally unshaken. I decide to approach him.

"Hey Cole!" I say.

"Oh. Hey Finnick," he says. "What's up?" He's intimidating, even though he's probably not trying to be.

"You were great in your interview. Really great."

"Thanks. You too." He smiles.

"So, um, are you allied with anyone right now?" I press. I feel so stupid.

"No," he says, uncertainly.

"Would you be interested in joining with us?" I can barely look at him.

"You and who else?"

"Well, um, I'm not sure. Probably Katniss." He doesn't react. "The girl from 12."

Suddenly his whole body language changes. It's like the mention of Katniss turned on some kind of light inside him. He smiles broadly.

"If Katniss is in, I'm in." He nods and walks away.

I stand there for a few seconds, a little taken aback. I try to concentrate on the other interviews, with the idea being to figure out the others, see what we're up against. But Cole, Katniss and I seem pretty unstoppable. I wonder if Katniss has anyone in mind for an ally.

Suddenly, she's walking on stage for her interview. She looks breath-taking in a red dress dotted with fire coloured sequins in a flame pattern. She's cool and calm in her interview, interacting brilliantly with Caesar. Then he asks her for comments on our relationship. I wasn't expecting this. But when he declares us "really good friends" I break into a smile. The he asks if she would consider me as an ally. I hold my breath, watching her carefully.

"I would be honoured," she replies with a grin. As soon as she walks out, I go straight up to her and ask her if she meant it.

"Of course! If you'll have me," she says. I tell her about Cole, which she seems ok with. Then she's pulled away by her mentor, so I go to find the other girl that I want to keep safe in the arena.

Violet. She smiles dazedly as I approach her. Nobody wants to be with her now, she's considered crazy.

"Hey Violet."

"Hi," she mumbles.

"You alright?"

"What do you think?" she snaps back harshly. I sigh.

"Why did you do it Violet?" She stares at me in disbelief.

"Isn't it obvious? Look around, Finnick. look at the standard this year. I don't have a chance in that arena. Not a single chance."

Katniss' POV

As I walk out of my interview, Finnick seems delighted about my comment on us allying. He tells me that Cole from District 5 has agreed to join us. This is good, he looks strong, but I wouldn't trust him with anything. I'm still unsure whether I want Celina, but I don't mention this to Finnick.

I try to get some sleep that night, but I'm restless. If I do drift off, a nightmare will only jolt me awake again. I'm desperate for some fresh air, but Violet's antics have meant I can't get to the roof.

I wake in the morning from an unusually long bout of sleep. I'll still need it as soon as I can in the arena. As I prepare myself, I realise how comforting it is to have allies. It feels a lot better than going into it alone.

Haymitch delivers me to the hovercraft. "You can do this Katniss. You're really good. You have two allies, and they will help. But in the end, they want to come out alive as much as you. You have to fight." They're encouraging words, but I'm starting to feel nauseous with nerves. I walk to the hovercraft and I'm carried up onto it by the rope ladder. There are 11 tributes already here, one from each district. I'd hoped that Finnick would be in my hovercraft, but I spot Violet sitting in the corner whimpering. Cole is here, though, and when we make eye contact he gives me a nod. I nod back.

A Capitol woman I don't recognise runs down what will happen in the beginning, and gives us a few rules. Then we have our trackers injected into our forearms.

About 15 minutes later, we land, and I'm taken into the Launch Room. Cinna is waiting there. He puts my jacket on for me and wishes me luck.

"30 seconds," says an announcement. I start to panic, so Cinna hugs me and whispers to me.

"10 seconds." I walk into my launch tube, my heart beating right out of my chest. There's a second of stillness, and the doors slide shut. Suddenly, my tube starts to move and in just a few seconds I'm thrust into the sunlight. My eyes adjust to the new light levels. I know that I have to take in every inch of my surroundings, but first I look for Finnick. I spot him, 5 pads to my right. I realise that we didn't come up with any plan at all. Do we go to the Cornucopia? Do we run for the forest? I don't know! I look back over to Finnick as the 60 seconds countdown starts. He points towards the Cornucopia, and then mouths, "Run to me." I nod. I take a quick glance around me. There's a thick forest surrounding about three quarters of the clearing, and the rest leads to a vast wheat field. The forest is probably the best place to go. The countdown hits 30 seconds.

What happens next, not one person in that clearing could have predicted.

Violet steps off her platform.

There's a colossal explosion, and where a girl used to stand, there's nothing. All the remains of Violet is some charred flesh. I look around the clearing, wondering if that actually could have happened. Every tribute looks like they've seen a ghost. I feel like I've been smacked in the face. I'm just unable to move.

The countdown reaches 10 seconds but nobody looks ready anymore. However, when the gong finally sounds, most of the tributes still run as fast as they can. I grab packs, weapons, and other provisions, fighting off defenders but never killing anyone. I dash over to Cole who is also well equipped. We both look frantically around for Finnick.

"Oh crap…" Cole whispers.

I suddenly spot him. Still glued to his platform, staring transfixed at the heap of Violet's ashes.

While Fox approaches stealthily from behind wielding a spear.


	8. Chapter 8

Finnick's POV

The next morning goes pretty quickly. Get up, get dressed, travel in the hovercraft, wait with Bree in the Launch Room. Before I know it my tube is thrusting me up into the arena. I glance around me, taking in the surroundings. I note that the forest will probably be a good place to head to. I look over to Katniss and catch her eye. I signal to her to grab what she can from the Cornucopia and then run to me. She nods.

I look over at Violet. She looks at the ground, sobbing quietly. She must sense I'm looking at her, as she turns her pale face to look at me. Her eyes are wide, glassy and full of terror. I can see her shaking from here. She looks me dead in the eye and mouths something.

"Goodbye."

Then she steps off her platform, as graceful as a swan. The mines blow her sky high. Suddenly I'm frozen. I can't move or speak. The shock of Violet's violent suicide has rendered me senseless. Even time means nothing. I just stare at the small pile of ashes, which is all that is left of the young girl from District 4.

I hear, the gong, and I know I should be running, but my legs won't move. My body refuses to do what I want it to do. I'm only capable of staring.

Suddenly, I'm aware of some incredible force slamming into my chest. I'm moving, fast, away from the Cornucopia, slung over the shoulder of some unknown person. Who are they? Are they taking me somewhere to kill me? Why didn't they just do it there and then?

I'm slowly slipping out of my trance now, and become more aware. I could probably move my arms again, but I just don't. I can hear the thudding footsteps of my carrier, and it sounds like there's someone else running beside us. After what seems like about 10 minutes, the pace slows. All my senses have returned to me now, and I'm ready to fight this person. Trouble is, they probably have weapons, whereas I was too stupid to even move. Suddenly I remember with panic- what happened to Katniss and Cole?

And with that thought, I'm swung down onto the floor, and I'm looking into the faces of those two very people. Relief floods through me.

"Finnick? Are you ok?" Katniss asks, looking at me worriedly.

"Yes," I reply, nodding eagerly. "I'm fine."

They both study me, and exchange a look.

"He's just in shock," Cole finally says. "We'll give him some food, he'll be fine."

They rummage in their rucksacks and find some crackers. After I've had them and a few sips of water, they prop me up against a tree and order me to rest.

I wake to find Katniss sitting next to me. I forget where I am at first, and then I realise.

And I remember Violet.

"Finally, he wakes," says a satirical voice. "About time." I look up to my left, and see Cole leaning against a tree laughing at me. Then he's serious. "You alright?"

"Yeah. Just about."

"Ready to go then?" This is Katniss now, getting up from beside me.

"Sure." I say.

So we walk. It's hot in the forest, but the tree's shade provides a little relief.

"How long was I asleep?" I ask.

"About 5 hours," replies Katniss. "You'd think you hadn't slept for a week," she adds cheekily.

"You missed the cannons," continues Cole. "There were 14."

"Wow. That's a lot." I say in surprise. This number is unusually high. It tends to be around 10 or 11 at the initial bloodbath.

"Yeah. There were 12 at first, and then in the hour after that were 2 more. Someone couldn't run fast enough," Cole says. I realise then I have to say something.

"Listen, guys. I'm so sorry. I was an idiot to just stand there and not help you two get weapons and supplies. I put all our lives at risk. I feel so stupid," I say. I expect an awkward silence, but Cole chips in right away.

"Don't worry about it."

"Yeah," Katniss adds. "It was only to be expected. Could have happened to any of us."

The mood is happier after this, but we still don't talk to avoid detection. We make camp before the sun goes down, and sort out a rota for people to stay up at watch. They let me sleep first, which I don't argue with. I quickly slip into a deep sleep.

Katniss' POV

Once Cole has thrown Finnick over his shoulder, stuck a spear into Fox's stomach, and we're running through the forest, I feel a lot better. Leaving the bloody scene of the Cornucopia, with at least one Career injured is very relieving. None of us talk, just run. After a while, we stop, and Cole puts Finnick down/ He looks dazed, not quite with us.

"Finnick? Are you okay?" I ask, concerned. He nods, a little wildly.

"Yes, I'm fine." I'm not convinced.

"He's just in shock. We'll give him some food, he'll be fine." Cole says. We feed him crackers and water, and he sleeps. While he rests, the cannons from the bloodbath fire. 12. Then, about an hour later another 2 fire within about 10 minutes of each other. 14 is an unusually high number that near the start, but the standard is high this year.

Cole goes to hunt and comes back with two rabbits. He must be a good hunter. Just after he returns, Finnick wakes up. It's time to move. We walk for a while, informing Finnick of what happened while he slept. At one point he seems overwhelmed with guilt and tells us how sorry he is, but we assure him we're okay.

Once we've made camp and sent an exhausted Finnick to sleep, we have a little water and some crackers. It's getting dark quickly, and I know that we'll soon see the names of the fallen tributes in the sky. I'm glad Finnick's asleep. It would be too much for him to see Violet's name up there.

I talk to Cole for a while. He has no family except his Grandad back in District 5, so being reaped wasn't very emotional for him. He tells me the story of his parents dying, how he went on the run, and eventually found his old Grandad. He says that his Grandad is desperately ill, and treatment is too expensive. His Grandad spends all day sitting in the chair, and Cole has to take care of his 24/7, even showering him. It's no life for a 17 year old with talent like him.

The anthem starts to play and the Capitol seal appears in the sky. Cole holds my hand, in a reassuring, friendly way, and we watch the first name appear. We both sigh loudly in relief to see Fox's name appear first. I guess Cole's spear killed him after all, and it's great that he's dead. Then come both from District 3. The girl is called Rosa, the one who looks like Prim. I wonder how Rosa's family are feeling now. Violet comes up next. I check that Finnick is still asleep. Next up is the boy from D6, which surprises me, because he looked very strong. The girl, Magdalena, from 7, both from 8 and 9, the girl from 10 and both from 11. That's it.

So Jackson is still alive.

Finnick's POV

I wake in the morning to see Katniss prodding a small fire and Cole skinning a rabbit. It looks quite early, but I must have slept the whole night.

"Guys!" I say, maybe a little too loudly. Cole checks there's no one around, and Katniss scuttles over to me so I can whisper.

"Why didn't you wake me?" I whisper angrily.

"You needed rest," replies Katniss.

"But I have to take turns just like everyone else!"

"Don't worry about it," says Cole quietly.

"No, this alliance won't work if I don't take my turn helping. Please." I don't want to get upset, but I have to feel like I have a hand in the effort. They seem surprised at my outburst, but then Katniss smiles.

"Ok, you can have an extra-long watch tonight." Then Cole passes her some chunks of rabbit, and she skewers them to be put over the fire.

By about noon we've eaten some rabbit, and cooked and stored the rest of it. We kick leaves over last nights' camp, and travel the rest of the day with no interruption. The Cole has an idea.

"Let's go back to the Cornucopia! See if the Careers are there, and if they're not, we can get some more supplies." Katniss seems up for it, so we head off for the central clearing. As we arrive, we can see the three remaining Careers sitting by their heap of supplies. As we station ourselves behind trees and peer through the foliage, a cannon fires. I look behind me at Cole and Finnick to check it wasn't either of them caught in come kind of trap set by the Careers. They're both ok. The Careers just laugh, and make comments like "one less to kill". We watch them for a while, listening to them talk. They discuss the remaining tributes, including us three. They seems to see our alliance as a big threat.

"Hey, I'm going to climb this tree and get a better look at their camp," Cole whispers. But when he's about 6 foot up, he loses his footing and crashes to the ground. The Careers look right at us, and all of a sudden they're charging. Cole gets back up in a flash, and Katniss loads and arrow into her bow. In a few seconds, all three of us are running for our lives. I pull a knife from my belt and Cole wields his spear. The Careers are still pursuing us, about 30 feet behind. I know we'll have to turn and fight soon.

Suddenly Cole whips round and launches his spear at the District 1 boy. It misses. They stop running, realising we're fighting back. I dodge a knife from Anise and hurl my own knife at Glamour. It cuts her arm, which distracts her enough for Katniss to launch an arrow into her chest. She drops to the ground and a cannon fires. Bravo and Anise stop fighting and stare at Glamour's dead body. Cole pulls at my arm and we run. They don't bother following. We run and run, not stopping for a good half an hour. Eventually it starts to get dark so we stop and make a camp. We have the last of our water, and some rabbit. We'll need to find more in the morning. Katniss sleeps first tonight.


	9. Chapter 9

**A shorter one so I can leave it on an evil cliff-hanger, mwa hahaaaa ;P**

Katniss' POV

The encounter with the Careers is terrifying. It's amazing all three of us escaped alive and unwounded. It's amazing that the Careers didn't. As we run away from the scene, I keep replaying the vision of my arrow entering Glamour's chest, piercing her heart. I can't believe I actually killed someone.

The boys insist I sleep first, although I want to know who the other cannon was for. I'm woken by Cole, and go on watch with Finnick. As Cole drifts off I get my small blanket and make myself as warm as possible next to Finnick.

"So, who was the other cannon for?" I ask.

"Hank. Magdalena's brother. Cole thinks that they were allied, and when his sister was killed, he either zoned out and made himself easy prey, or killed himself. I sigh at the newest death, just another tragic loss to come out of these Games. I try to think who's left. Bravo and Anise. Jackson. Us three. Celina. That's 7, but there's 8 left. I can't remember the last person. I ask Finnick, who at first can't remember but then clicks his fingers as while later.

"Riley. That little 13 year old from District 10. I guess we underestimated him.

Wow, I think. He must be the youngest left.

"So, tell me about you." Finnick says. I can't help but laugh, because it's a strange question for our situation of impending death.

"What do you want to know?"

"I don't know. Tell me about your house," he says,

"Well, it's very small. There are only three rooms."

"Three?!" he exclaims. His eyes are wide.

"Yeah. A main room with a little kitchen in the corner. A bathroom. A bedroom."

"Who do you share the bedroom with?" he asks, still sounding astonished at my living arrangements.

"My mum and sister."

"That's it?" I know what he's doing. He's asking about my dad without coming right out and saying it.

"Well my dad died a few years ago. Mine explosion." I reply.

"I'm so sorry Katniss," he rushes to apologise, obviously feeling guilty.

"I'm better these days. What about you then? Tell me about your fabulous house," I say, teasing him.

"Well, I have"- he pauses to count on his fingers. "Eight rooms. I have my own bedroom," he says. I think he tried to say it jokingly, but I hear something else in his voice. Sadness.

"Finnick? What's wrong?" He takes a deep breath.

"I used to have a little brother. Artie. He was born seven years ago. I loved him, so, so much. I took him everywhere. I never did the normal stuff with my friends because I was too busy playing with Artie. I'd have done anything for him. There was no one in the world I loved more. Then, two years ago, he caught scarlet fever. He died after two months." His voice breaks at the end.

"Finn," I begin.

"It's ok, Katniss. Just ignore me." But I can see the tears rolling down his face now, his sea green eyes full of sadness. I look at him for a second. This boy, this beautiful boy, adored by every girl in Panem. He just wants his little brother back.

I wrap my arms tightly around him. He hugs me back, and buries his face in my shoulder. I can feel him crying harder. There's nothing I can say to make him feel better. I just stroke his messy bronze hair, rocking him gently in my arms. After a while, he falls asleep. I kiss his forehead, lay his head in my lap and let him sleep.

Finnick's POV

I wake the next morning with my head on a soft pile of clothes. Cole sits next to me, cooking a squirrel. He senses I'm awake.

"She's gone to the river to bathe," he says, knowing I would ask about her. I sit up and shuffle out from under the shelter into the crisp morning air. Details of last night start to come back to me, and I bury my face in my hands as I remember. Telling Katniss about Artie, crying into her shoulder, falling asleep in her arms. She must think I'm a loser now.

But when she comes back, with three refilled water bottles, looking very clean, she treats me just the same. In fact, she's a lot kinder and smiles at me all the time. I know it's not her feeling sorry for me, she's not that type of person. We just have a stronger bond now.

We just travel for the next few days, changing camp every night. Katniss and Cole are always catching more animals for us. I wish I could help with that, but I'm hopeless at hunting. We never come across another tribute and no cannons fire. The Gamemakers must be getting impatient. On about the fifth or sixth day of the Games, we're just walking through the forest as usual when there's a faint rustle nearby. We all stop, frozen to the spot. I look cautiously around for the source of the noise. Then suddenly, a small figure appears about 20 feet to our right.

It's Riley.

In just a few seconds we're all in fighting mode, weapons at the ready. Riley brandishes a sword, a determined look on his face. And without a word of warning, the fight begins. Cole's spears fly at Riley, most of which he dodges, but one strikes his leg. Katniss' small arrows are too easy for him to avoid. Nobody is paying any attention to me.

I pull a knife from my belt…

Steady my hand…

Aim…

Throw.

The knife plants itself in Riley's chest with a thud. He staggers backwards, falls to the ground and a cannon fires. I look at Cole and Katniss. Cole was caught slightly on the arm by a spear, but his wound doesn't look terrible. However, Katniss was sliced on the leg by Riley's sword. Blood trickles down her leg as she falls backwards into the undergrowth. Out of the corner of my eye, I see another figure appear. I draw my knife, but the girl throws her hands up in surrender.

"Please, stop. I need help," she whimpers.

"Celina!" exclaims Katniss. The girl spots her, and relaxes.

"Oh, Katniss! Thank goodness!" Celina steps forward, but I raise my knife, still wary.

"Stop, Finn. It's ok," Katniss says.

"I want to ally," Celina pleads. "I was with Riley, but he was just so controlling. Never let me do anything my way. He threatened to kill me more than once," she says. "Please."

I look at Katniss and Cole. They both nod.

"Sure," I say, finally relaxing.

"Great," she says, smiling. "Now let's treat these injuries."

We find the river, and Celina gets to work. She has an incredible knowledge of medical plants and what will do what to you. She gives me some leaves, and tells me what to do to treat Katniss' leg. Then she moves away to treat Cole.

Katniss painfully takes her over trousers off, wincing as she does so. I help her roll up her undershorts, to reveal a very nasty looking cut. I help her into the water and bathe it, letting her squeeze my hand as hard as helps her deal with the pain. Then I wipe it, and treat it with the leaves. She whimpers in agony. I stop to stroke her hair every so often, which calms her. Then I use some different leaves to bandage her cut. When I've finished I help her put her over trousers back on, letting her lean on me to keep her balance.

"Thank you so much Finn," she says quietly with a little smile. I smile back, and in a move of either bravery or idiocy, I lean over and kiss her.


	10. Chapter 10

**Here is Chapter 10! Honestly guys PLEASE keep reviewing. My last chapter, which I considered to be one of the best, barely got any reviews! Honestly I LOVE reading them so much, even if you're just a guest, drop in a review it means the world to me! Thanks :)**

Katniss' POV

The death of Riley and our new alliance with Celina certainly kicks something new off in our little clique.

And when Finnick kisses me after treating my wounds, I know that it's something great.

After he pulls away, he looks scared as if expecting rejection.

"Don't crush me too hard," he whispers. "I'll bet the cameras on are us right now." I just smile, and kiss him again. I feel him smile.

"And that wasn't for the cameras," I say, smiling again. When Celina is done with Cole, we move on to find a place for the night. Aside from us and the Careers, Jackson is the only one left alive. I find myself hoping that the Careers get Jackson first.

When Cole and Celina insist that Finnick and I sleep first, I know they must have seen us together. I can tell from the cheeky looks on their faces. We all have some water and squirrel, and then I curl up with Finnick under the shelter. He's amazingly warm, and lying in his arms makes it the most comfortable night's sleep I've had in a while. Cole and Celina eventually wake us up so they can sleep. We sit together, Finnick wraps his arms around me and we spend the rest of the night warm in each other's grasp.

As dawn breaks, I decide I should hunt. I check Finnick will be alright by himself, and take my bow and arrow off into the undergrowth. As I search, peering through bushes and trees, I catch sight of something black on the floor about 100 feet away. I quickly hide myself behind a tree and load an arrow. I wonder what it is- a rabbit, maybe even a hare. I creep forward, inching closer and closer, always keeping myself behind a tree. I must be close enough now. I carefully peer around the tree, and let out a gasp.

Jackson is lying on the floor asleep.

I'm frozen for a moment, totally unaware of what to do. Then, as soundlessly as I approached, I slip back to camp.

I arrive to find Finnick and Cole gone.

"They saw the Careers a little over that way and decided to go after them," Celina says. She sees the look on my face. "Katniss, there's only 7 of us left. It's time to stop avoiding the others," she says dismally. I sit down next to her for a while, but I can't bear to sit still while the boys are in danger. I realise how much I care for Finnick. Celina is eager to go and find them too, I think she really likes Cole. We both grab weapons from the store and push our way through thick trees with Celina guiding the right way. I feel sick with suspense.

Suddenly, a blood curdling shout cuts through the air like a knife.

Finnick's POV

I look nervously at Katniss when I pull away, terrified of rejection, that she won't feel the same.

"Don't crush me too hard," I whisper. "I'll bet the cameras are on us right now." She smiles a beautiful smile and kisses me back.

"And that wasn't for the cameras," she says.

I'm deliriously happy for the rest of the day, and by night-time my mouth aches from smiling. I curl up with Katniss under the shelter and we sleep happily together in the warmth. When we're woken by Cole and Celina, we sit under the shelter, still wrapped warm in each other's arms.

In the morning, Katniss goes to hunt. She's not been gone long when Celina and Cole wake up.

"Morning lover boy," Cole says teasingly with a cheeky smile. I laugh.

"Morning." Suddenly, Cole's eyes focus on something behind me, and all the laughter is gone from his eyes. "Shh," he says quietly, and carefully gets to his feet. "Bravo and Anise are over there," he hisses. I look at him.

"Want to go after them?" I ask. Cole quickly agrees. We grab some weapons and water bottles, and set off stealthily through the trees. After a while we spot them a good way away from um. We draw our weapons, ready to charge. But then there's a terrified shout and we start running as an instinct. As we reach the Careers, I'm surprised to see three figures in the clearing. It takes me a second to realise that the third person is Katniss' district partner, Jackson. Bravo has his pinned to the ground and is drawing patterns on his face with a knife. Anise looks on, laughing, but as we crash towards them, her eyes glint with the prospect of fresh blood.

"Well, look who it is," Bravo drawls, unfazed by the thrashing Jackson under his hands. "Beauty and the Beast." I can't help but laugh at this ridiculous nickname for me and Cole.

"Something funny?" Anise asks, advancing threateningly towards us. "Let's see how funny you find this," she says, drawing a knife from her belt. Suddenly, two more people come bursting through the trees behind us, and Katniss and Celina blunder into the clearing. Anise throws her knife in a panic, and it hits nobody. Katniss fires an arrow like a true professional which lands dead between Anise's eyes. She staggers backwards, startled, looking like a deer caught in headlights. Then she drops to the ground and a cannon fires. Bravo looks a bit unsure of what to do for a second; still trying to come to terms with the last few second's events. But it doesn't last long.

"Well, won't the audience be enjoying this? All the remaining tributes in one place. Just think of your families, the entire of Panem, glued to their televisions, about to watch me be picked up as victor," he hisses gleefully. And with one fluid motion, he starts his attack. It's as if I'm in automatic mode, defending myself as I always have. At one point, Jackson attempts to get up and join the fight, but Bravo is totally undeterred and sticks a spear into his stomach. Knives, spears and arrows fly from my hands, with great support from the other three. At one point Bravo looks beaten, but then he picks something up from amidst the long grass and we all freeze.

He's holding a mace. I wonder where he got it from- I never saw any at the Cornucopia. Probably a very generous sponsor. He raises it above his head, and none of us have any time to react.

Celina never saw it coming.

He smacks her across the head with the horrible instrument. She's dead in seconds, her head blown to bits. I look away from the gruesome corpse as another cannon fires. In complete and utter frustration, Cole hurls an axe at him. It hits him the shoulder. Bravo has no choice but to run away, staggering with pain.

Cole drops to the floor beside Celina, and Katniss runs to Jackson. I'm left standing there, too shocked to know what to do.

Katniss' POV

We follow the scream to find Finnick and Cole opposing Bravo and Anise. I see Anise's terrified eyes land on me, and she hurls her knife into mid-air in desperation. I let my arrow string go, quickly ending her life. It's not good news for us though, as Bravo is angry now. We killed his one remaining ally, and he wants revenge. He quickly launches a manic attack on us. Just when we think we're winning, he suddenly picks up a mace from the ground, a huge, ugly, spiky thing. Before any of us can do anything, he swings it at Celina with a brute force that could probably only be matched by Cole. She's thrown to the ground, head hanging off her neck. I see the devastation on Cole's face, and he launches an axe into Bravo's shoulder. We see him run off into the trees.

And it's only then that I notice Jackson lying on the floor, a spear sticking out of his stomach. As Cole drops hopelessly to the ground beside Celina's lifeless body, I run to Jackson.

"Jackson," I whisper. As well as the spear wound he's been cut deep on his leg and has lost a lot of blood. His chest heaves as he struggles to draw breath.

"Hi Katniss," he says, smiling weakly.

"Who did this to you?" I ask in a small voice.

"Bravo." Then he laughs. "By the way, that's not what I said when he did this."

I laugh as well, just at the fact that Jackson is still cracking jokes as he's dying. A tear spills down my cheek.

"Hey, Finnick," he says in the loudest voice he has left. Finnick turns around, caught in a daydream, surprised Jackson knows his name.

"You take care of her, ok? She's an incredible girl." Jackson says.

"Don't worry, I will," Finnick says sincerely, smiling slightly.

Then Jackson turns to look at me again.

"Goodbye Katniss," Jackson whispers to me, sounding weaker than ever. "The girl on fire."

His eyes close, and I'm sure he's dead, but then his lips move ever so slightly to form quiet, strained words.

"Thank you for being here."

I sit beside him for a minute more and watch his breathing get slower and slower. Then his chest stops moving, and a cannon fires. Sobs begin to escape from my mouth. I plant a single kiss on his forehead, and stand up. I press the three middle fingers of my left hand to my lips, and put them in the air. This is a signal for goodbye in District 12. A symbol of respect. Finnick comes over to me, and carefully puts his arms around me. He pulls me close and kisses me.

We manage to coax Cole away from Celina, so we can go and find food. That night, Finnick and I stay awake first so Cole doesn't have to watch the sky. The Capitol seal appears and the anthem blares in the arena. Anise appears first. Then Celina, which saddens us both. When Jackson appears I start crying, and Finnick takes me in his arms, just like I did with him last night, and kisses the top of my head until I feel better. I start shivering, so he takes his shirt off and puts it on me, even though that must leave him freezing, just to keep me warm. When it's time to wake Cole, Finnick insists that I should sleep, so after giving him his shirt back I lie down under the cover and try to sleep. However I just can't drift off. I hear Cole talking to Finnick.

"So, you and Katniss huh?"

"Yeah," Finnick says with laughter in his voice. Happy laughter. I imagine that he's smiling that beautiful smile of his right now.

"Nice one man," Cole says, in a way that only a boy can. "She's a good one."

"Yeah, she's incredible," Finnick breathes. I smile to myself.

"But it's not exactly an ideal relationship," he begins. Cole must have indicated for him to carry on, because he says, "Well, in here. In the arena. There's only four of us left now, and there can only be one victor. What if, in the end, one of us has to kill the other?"

This, if I'm honest, is something that has plagued my nightmares since I first allied with Finnick. Even though back then we were only friends, the thought of watching him die, or me having to kill him, was unbearable.

"Well Finn, I'm going to tell you what I think." Cole says. "You saw what happened with me and Celina. I liked her, I really liked her. But I didn't make the most of it, and now she's gone. So, you two need to make the most of what little time you have left, and think about problems like that later."


	11. Chapter 11

Finnick's POV

I stand, unable to move any limbs. Two people have died here in very quick succession, and a third is looking very frail. As I try to process my many thoughts, I hear a small, quiet, unfamiliar voice.

"Hey Finnick."

I turn around, and locate the source of the voice as Jackson lying weak on the floor.

"Take care of her, ok? She's an incredible girl." I smile.

"Don't worry. I will." And I will. Because now, Katniss is going to win. I don't care anymore, I don't want to win. All I know is that I have to protect Katniss with everything, with my life.

The next morning, the first thing we all agree to do is find Bravo. It will be better to catch him while he's still weak from the shoulder wound. We make sure we have plenty of food and water, and set out.

We've been walking for about an hour when Katniss drops to the ground, looking intently at the earth beneath us.

"There's fresh footprints here. Bravo is nearby." I take a step forward and something pulls very hard on my leg. Suddenly, I'm catapulting into the air. I begin to fall again, and I'm caught by something very sharp around my ankle. I feel the bone break and shout in agony before I can stop myself. I barely have time to register the fact that I'm dangling upside down by my ankle and Katniss has climbed the tree, cut me free, and carried me back down. She lays me on the floor. Cole is on alert now, watching in case Bravo was alerted by my scream. Katniss gingerly touches the wire that it now embedded in my ankle tissue, and I wince with pain.

"Finn, I'm so sorry. I'm going to have to get this out, or you'll get blood poisoning." Katniss says. She takes out the blanket and gives it to me to bite down on it. In one swift, agonising movement, she rips the metal from my flesh. It's over so fast, I don't have time to scream. Katniss takes the blanket from me and wraps it tightly around my ankle to stop the bleeding.

"I'm so sorry Finn," she whispers, a tear rolling down her cheek. She kisses me and smooths my hair back from my forehead. We move slowly to the river, Katniss supporting one arm and Cole the other. Katniss plunges my foot into the water and I gasp with pain. I can see she doesn't want to hurt me like this, but it's for the best. She carries on bathing my foot, kissing me between splashes, which helps to ease the pain. She dries it carefully with the blanket and goes to get some leaves. I notice for the first time that Cole is gone.

"Where's Cole?" I ask, and gasp as another stab of pain shoots through my foot.

"Sorry about that. He went to find some sort of cave or something for you. You'd be too vulnerable if we carried on with open camps like we had." Another pain stabs through me, but this time it's guilt.

"Katniss I'm so sorry. I just didn't see that trap, I feel so bad to inconvenience you like this"-

"Finn, it's fine. Don't worry about it. It could have happened to any of us."

She sits me up, wraps her arms around my waist and kisses me. I see tears in her eyes.

"I love you," she whispers, gazing into my eyes.

"I love you too," I whisper back. And I do, more than anything.

"Hey you two, not in public," Cole says crashing back to the river. "Save it for the cave I found, although preferably not while I'm in it."

Cole decides to carry me on his shoulder like he did right at the start of the Games so we can get to the cave quicker. After about 5 minutes he puts me down.

"Here we are!" Cole says. It takes me a few seconds to notice the tiny gap between two rocks, mostly because it's covered with leaves. Cole gets down on his hands and knees and crawls through the gap. Then his head sticks back through, and indicates for me to come through. I flatten myself onto my stomach and Cole yanks me through. The cave is massive, way bigger than it looks from the outside. You could comfortably have fit all 24 tributes in here.

I hear Katniss shuffle through behind me and she gazes around.

"Well, what do you think? Pretty good huh?" Cole says grinning from ear to ear with pride.

"Cole, it's absolutely perfect!" Katniss bounds over to him and hugs him, before swinging the bag off her shoulder and sorting through our supplies so we can have something to eat.

We stay in the cave until night-fall. It's still cold as we can't make a fire, but it's warmer in the cave than it would be outside. Someone will have to hunt tomorrow as there is no food left.

We decide not to have anyone on watch tonight. The cave is well hidden enough and we all need a good night's sleep.

Katniss' POV

The horror that fills me when Finnick is caught by the trap is like no other. I'm certain the trap will kill him, something nasty attached to it which will swing down and decapitate him or similar. I notice that the other end of the trap has been inexpertly tied to the tree, so I scale the climb and scamper up to where Finnick is now dangling by one ankle. I cut him down in a matter of seconds, and me and Cole bear the load to get him to the river to treat his wounds. His ankle is broken, so he's not walking anywhere. He seems to be in considerable pain, but kissing him seems to help. I take a moment to look at him when he's looking away. He's filthy, the original colour of his clothes unrecognisable. His bright sea green eyes are the only colour left. His shirt is ripped, and the soles are coming off his shoes. His breathing is laboured as he copes with the pain in his ankle. I'm suddenly filled with an overwhelming love for the weak, injured boy laid in front of me. No amount of affection from the country you live in can compensate for being put through this at 16.

When I've sent Cole to find a more substantial shelter so Finnick can rest, I just sit next to him and kiss him. There's nothing else in the world I want to do.

"I love you," I whisper, and it's so, so true. I'm delighted to hear his reply of "I love you too."

When Cole takes us to the cave, I can relax. I feel so safe there. Cole couldn't have found anywhere more perfect; a concealed entrance and it's massive inside. We all get a good night's sleep, me and Finnick clasped in each other's arms.

The next morning I go off to hunt, leaving a note in the dust to let the sleeping boys know where I am.

As I walk, I'm constantly on the lookout for Bravo. He's badly injured, but would probably still beat me in a one-on-one fight.

By the time I return with three rabbits, Cole is sat just outside the entrance making a fire. It's a comical sight, because he's surrounded by heaps of our accumulated weapons in case Bravo turns up.

"He's still asleep," he says, without even looking at me. He takes the rabbits from me and begins to prepare them. I pick some more leaves to replace Finnick's 'bandages'.

When I go back into the cave, the sight of Finnick almost makes me cry. He almost looks small, so lost, even in sleep. I wake him up with a kiss. His gorgeous eyes focus on me, and his perfect white teeth protrude from the grime on his face into a beautiful smile.

"Good morning," I say cheerfully.

"Morning," he says, sitting up.

"How're you feeling this morning?" I ask, studying his pale skin beneath the dirt.

"Ankles a bit better. Am I getting new bandages?" he says happily. I laugh.

"Yes, you are," I say smiling. I change his leaves while he absent-mindedly runs his hands through his knotted hair. Cole comes in with a cooked rabbit.

When we've eaten, Cole says something which shocks us both. "I'm going to find Bravo today. You two stay here."

Finnick's face reflects mine. We're both stunned.

"Cole, you can't go by yourself! What if you need us?" I exclaim.

"There's no alternative. I obviously can't take Finnick, and I can't take you because we can't leave Finnick by himself. And if we all stay here nothing good will happen and the Gamesmakers will put something horrible in the arena."

"Well why don't I go?" I say.

Cole smiles. "Because you two need every second you have left together."

And with that, he loads himself up with weapons and some food, and goes.

"Wow." Finnick says.

"Yeah." I sigh. We're both shocked by Cole's bravery.

"Katniss," Finnick says. "If Cole does find Bravo, and kills him…" he trails off.

"What?"

"Well, then what? It will just be us three. What will we do?"

I think about this for a second.

"Finnick, you have to go home. To your parents. They need you," I say.

He looks at me in disbelief. "I love you Katniss. So much. You think I'd be able to watch you die? You have to go home to your mum and sister," he says.

"Well, we both want each other to go home don't we?" I say, tears beginning to s[pill down my cheeks. "Because we love each other."

Finnick puts his arms around me and pulls me close.

"Katniss, your sister"-

"Finnick, we'll never agree. I'll never be able to kill you, and you can't kill me. I couldn't go home and be happy if you were dead. Don't you see, Finn?"

He looks at me, puzzled.

"If we can't both go home, neither of us will." I pause for a moment to take a deep breath.

"We'll have to ask Cole to kill us both."


	12. Chapter 12

**Second to last chapter, we're nearly at the end! PLEASE keep reviewing right to the end, and enjoy :)**

Finnick's POV

Katniss' strong words in the cave shock me, but I guess they were no surprise. I know, in my heart, that while I'm desperate to protect Katniss, she's desperate to protect me. When Cole arrives back that night, Katniss relays the conversation to him and asks if, it came down to it, he would kill us. He nods solemnly. It's grave, but necessary.

Suddenly, we hear a musical sound from outside the cave. I stick my head out and notice a sliver parachute lying in the moss. I scoop it up and duck back inside. Cole gently opens the capsule to reveal two small, gold rings lying on a bed of silk. The rings are identical, right down to the inscription; "PSV"

Before I can say anything, Cole gasps in astonishment.

"These are promise rings. Back in District 5, they are the most sincere things you can give someone. If you break a promise after giving someone a promise ring, it's like killing someone. PSV stands for Promise, Swear, Vow. They're used in official ceremonies and marriages." He looks at Katniss and I.

"My sponsors must have sent me these. So I can promise to kill you. If I don't, I'll be severely punished back home."

I realise now that the whole on Panem has been captured by our desperate love story.

Cole slides the rings onto our fingers, reciting the traditional speech that goes with them by heart.

I sleep heavily that night, not dreaming.

I pull myself up in the morning and it takes me until I'm on my feet to remember my broken ankle. I fall back to the ground with a thud and a yelp. Katniss wakes with a start. She sees me gripping my ankle, face scrunched up in pain, and scurries over to me.

"Finn? Are you ok?"

"Yeah. Just forgot about it." I say shakily. She takes my hand and our rings touch. It reminds me of our doomed relationship and our small amount of time left. Katniss seems to think of the same thing, and presses her lips to mine. It's the most passionate kiss we've had yet. I pull her closer to me, keeping my hands on her waist. She runs her fingers through my hair, and kisses me even harder. I pull her back until we're lying down. We're lost in each other's world, trapped in a perfect moment of love, now tangled together, bound into one body on the floor.

"Ahem."

We're snapped out of it, sitting bolt upright in the same second. Our hair is a mess from running each other's hands through it. I notice that my shirt is a little lopsided and Katniss' jacket is undone. I don't remember that happening.

Cole is standing above us, trying to look stern like a cross parent, but his eyes are full of laughter. We sit there, still with our arms wrapped around each other, looking like little kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

"Well, we'll have none of that in this cave," Cole scolds us with a mocking smile. Then he leaves to hunt Bravo, just like that.

And we're alone.

We look at each other, and start laughing. Totally unable to stop, we roll around gasping for breath before collapsing into laughter again. There's nothing to laugh at, but we have to laugh or we'll cry.

At one point I realise that the Capitol would definitely have been broadcasting our heated moment, and I don't even like to think what my mother and father were thinking.

The rest of the day I spend talking and laughing with Katniss. We totally shouldn't be having such a good time, given our situation, but it's all we can do. We find out lots more about each other, random little facts like our favourite meals, and take occasional breaks from talking to, well, kiss. I start off hoping that the Capitol would cut to Cole or Bravo during this, wanting this to be our little moment, but in the end I forget about that and, as Cole said, just enjoy the time.

When Cole comes back that night still not having found Bravo, we start to worry. The Gamemakers need to put on a show, and we're not giving them one. They'll soon put something nasty in the arena to drive us towards Bravo, to create some action.

That night, when we're sitting and eating squirrel, we hear crunching of leaves outside. We freeze, none of us moving. We look, terrified, at each other. The crunching carries on, sounding more like footsteps by the second.

Then we hear a sigh.

All our eyes widen in terror. The hope of it being an animal is gone, an animal doesn't sigh like that.

Bravo is outside our cave.

Katniss' POV

I feel the cold of the promise ring as Cole slips it onto my finger. His brown eyes stare at me gravely as he says the old poem that accompanies these rings. He hugs me and Finnick afterwards. We're all desperate to hold onto each other, knowing that perhaps in less than a day we could all be dead.

The next day is great. I just have a wonderful time with Finnick. I feel guilty for not thinking about Cole and the life threatening situation he could be in. We don't even listen for a cannon.

For a day that started so well, it goes downhill pretty quickly. We hear footsteps and a sigh from outside our cave. None of us have a clue of what to do. Do we climb out of the cave and fight? Stay here and wait for Bravo to find a way in? Wait for him to go? We all look at each other hopelessly. Cole moves ever so slightly and scratches carefully in the dirt; "Weapons."

As quietly as possible, we scoop up all the weapons we can. I take my bow in my hand, stroking its strong, curved handle for what might be the last time. I take some arrows, some knives and a sword. Even Finnick manages to get up, taking a hunting stance. When we're all ready, Cole raises one finger slowly.

"Good luck," he whispers so quietly, it's barely audible.

Cole lifts a heavy knife to head height, and in one movement, he drops the knife.

It falls to the ground with a clatter.

There's silence from outside, and then footsteps close to the entrance. The bush that conceals us crackles. My stomach flips over.

The dirty, wild face of Bravo sticks through. He laughs manically.

His face disappears and he drops through into our cave. The cave in which I felt so safe just a few days ago.

The overall look of Bravo surprises me. In the few seconds it takes for him to get his bearings, I realise how weak he looks. Cole must have broken something in his shoulder, as he only seems to have to use of one arm. His eyes are wild, darting around, looking at each of us. Frankly, he looks mad. I wonder if losing Anise set a cog loose somewhere in his brain.

"We meet again," Cole finally says, breaking the silence. "How are you, old friend?"

Bravo narrows his eyes at Cole, unsure of what to reply. I cast a quick glance at Finnick. He knows it's important not to let Bravo see he's injured, or he'll be easy prey. He seems ok though, managing to make it look as though he isn't ailed.

"No time for small talk," Bravo says, in a very strange, almost warped, voice. "It's time for it to end, boys and girls." An evil smile crosses his face. "Ready?"

I never thought I could actually hate anyone as much as I hate Bravo. He's a threat to me, and two people I have come to love very much. I think of my mum, Prim, and hang onto the hope that Finnick and I can have a graceful death together. I angrily hurl a knife at Bravo.

This kicks us all into action. Bravo manages to dodge the knife, but the cave is a small place to fight. We outnumber him, and he can only use one arm. This should be an easy one.

But Bravo is like a robot in his movements, hurling out knives, spears and other weapons at us in a very systematic way. I see Cole's arm get caught, and a knife whistles so close to my head it nicks my ear. A sharp shoot of pain stabs through my head, distracting me for a second. Bravo notices this, and rams a spear at me. I dodge it by less than a centimetre.

I wish I could check how Finnick's doing, but I can't let my guard down at a time like this. I hope he's ok.

I see the look in Bravo's eyes before anyone else does. Fear. Nothing but terror. His weapons are running out, but we are well equipped. He knows he's out of his depth. I don't know how he's managed to get this far. His leg has already been badly injured by a knife from Finnick, and I've hit his arm a few times with arrows. None of us seem to be able to get him.

And then, my emotions begin to boil up. Really boil up. My vision becomes tinged red, and I can't suppress anything anymore. Bravo is too busy deflecting Finnick and Cole's blows to realise I've stopped fighting.

Adrenaline courses through my veins. I feel my muscles flexing as I pull my arm back, the deadliest knife we have clasped in my sweaty palm. Bravo sees me, but it's too late. I let the heat of my moment carry my arm through, and Bravo doesn't have a chance. The knife plants itself right into Bravo's head. He falls backwards, and a cannon fires.

There's a moment of silence as we all take in what happened. Then Cole leans back against the wall, totally exhausted. I can see him shaking.

I look over to Finnick, who's gone ghostly pale. His pupils have dilated so much you can barely see the green anymore. He looks over to me, and I look at him. I need to hug him, to hold him in my arms.

But as I walk towards him, I see his knees weaken and he collapses on the floor.


	13. Chapter 13

**Well guys, we've reached our journey's end! It's been amazing! Every time an email came through saying "New Review", "New Follow" or "New Favourite" it just put some happiness into my heart! I'd like to give special thanks to ****Bellanator116****, **** and ****Skim 28**** for their continued support and enthusiasm, but also to anyone that reviewed, followed or favourite my story. Hope you enjoy the final chapter, and tell your friends about it! One last time, THANK YOU! :D**

Finnick's POV

My ankle still hurts immensely, but there's no way I can leave Cole and Katniss to fight this battle alone. I pull myself to my feet, taking as many of the weapons as I can manage.

Cole drops his knife to draw Bravo into the cave. I feel sick with fear as Bravo drops into our cave, gazing gleefully as us. I'm sure he's gone insane.

Katniss looks over at me to see if I'm ok, and I nod slightly. I decide that if Bravo does manage to kill Cole, I will stop fighting. If me and Katniss stop fighting, hopefully Bravo will kill us both swiftly and quickly. He's just as desperate for this to be over as we are.

The actual fight is a blur for me- I don't notice most of the details and just immerse myself in throwing and dodging, although it's difficult with my ankle so painful. The fight must go on for 5 or 10 minutes, I lose track, and suddenly I see something whistle past me, heading straight for Bravo. He spots it at the last second, but doesn't dodge in time.

Katniss' knife has killed him.

Relief surges through me as we all take it in. The cannon is the best noise I've ever heard. Katniss and I can have our death together. I see her look at me, and go to walk towards me, but suddenly my vision is covered in black spots and my breathing judders. I fall to the floor, desperately trying to regain my breath. My heart is beating way too fast, and I'm gasping for breath, getting too much oxygen into my blood. I feel sick, and cold. I start shivering. My eyes are still clamped shut. I'm terrified. I can't die here, not after finally defeating Bravo. What would it do to Katniss to have to watch the life drain out of me while she's fit and well? I can feel her shaking me, and Cole is trying to sit me up. They think I'm unconscious, but I really just need to pull myself out of this.

"Finnick, please wake up!" Katniss screams at me through her tears. I feel her rough hand on my arm, shaking me in desperation. "Finnick!"

I use the sound of her voice to give the energy to form words.

"Sing to me." I finally manage to say. She goes quiet- there are no hands on me now.

"Ok." She whispers. And I sit there, slowly sorting out my breathing and listen to Katniss sing.

_Deep in the meadow, under the willow  
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow  
Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes  
And when again they open, the sun will rise._

_Here it's safe, here it's warm  
Here the daisies guard you from harm  
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true  
Here is the place where I love you._

With the last note I open my eyes and smile at her. Tears roll down both our cheeks. She kisses me gently and then takes my hand.

"Bravo's dead, Finn. It's time."

I look at her. Her brown hair, somehow still soft and silky after nearly 2 weeks in the arena. Her brown eyes, tired and old. Her smooth olive skin, covered in grime and dirt. I squeeze her hand and nod.

She helps me up and carries me past Bravo's dead body and guides me through the cave entrance. Then, she and Cole help me walk until we come across a big clearing. The grass grows quite long, but not out of control. Wild flowers like poppies, dandelions and forget-me-nots grow in spots. It's surrounded by lush green oak trees which dapple the sunlight onto the emerald grass. Katniss looks at me and we both smile. It's perfect.

I sit down and Cole moves away so we can pass any last words.

"Why did it have to end like this?" Katniss says, tears spilling down her cheeks. "These damn Games, why do they have to exist?" she says. I can't think of anything to say.

"I love you." I say finally, taking in every inch of her before I can't anymore.

"I love you too." She says. I can see the hate in her eyes for what these Games have done. I hope the Capitol is ashamed.

I try not to think about what could happen if we could go home, now, together. We could get married, have children, and live our lives out together in happiness.

There's nothing more to say now. I hold her hands, and kiss her for one last time.

Cole walks back over. I see the berries in clenched in his trembling hand. This must be what he's decided to use. At least it won't be painful.

"Ready?" he says. I can see tears in his eyes.

I look at Katniss. I can't believe what's about to happen. She nods. I look up at Cole.

"Ready."

As we sit on the soft grass, I take her hand and whisper gently in her ear. "I love you so much Katniss."

She replies, "I'll love you forever Finn."

Katniss' POV

I rush over to Finnick, terrified that he's going to die here. After everything we've been through, he can't leave me in this way. My heart starts racing as I watch him hyperventilate. Cole dashes over to help me, tugging on him to make him sit up. I shake his arm, even more scared than I was during the fight with Bravo.

"Finnick, please wake up!" I beg. "Finnick!"

His lips move slowly and carefully. "Sing to me."

I don't know whether to feel happy because he can talk, or be worried because he still looks on the brink of death. But I have to do as he wishes. I remember a lullaby that my father used to sing to me when I was younger. When couldn't sleep, he would sing it to me. It's perfect for me to sing to Finnick.

As I start singing, the old tune comes to me as easily as my own name. When I finish the song, he opens his eyes and smiles at me. It's his old beautiful smile that I first saw during the chariot parade.

"Bravo's dead, Finn. It's time," I say. We can't delay it any longer- what's the point? We know it's coming.

I help him out of the cave, and then Cole and I take an arm each. We come across a beautiful clearing with the sun shining down on pretty flowers and green grass. I look at Finnick, and we both know this is the place.

We don't want to touch on the subject of how Cole has planned to do this, but we don't need to. As soon as we've set Finnick down Cole takes out a little pouch and shakes some purple berries onto his hand. I recognise them as nightlock, a deadly plant which kills you in under a minute. Many people in District 12 have before mistaken them as edible fruit.

Cole recognises that these are our last few minutes together, and he walks to the edge of the clearing to give us some privacy. I look into Finnick's eyes, memorising them to take to my grave. I'm angry as well as sad, furious at the Capitol who put on these Games for entertainment. They've ruined my life.

"Why did it have to end like this?" I say, frustrated tears welling in my eyes. "These damn Games, why do they have to exist?" I think a lot of my anger comes from my desperation to stay with Finnick forever, not to have to die now, but to go home with him and be happy.

"I love you," he says in a small voice.

"I love you too," I say.

There's nothing more to say. Anything else we said now would just make what's about to happen worse. Finnick takes my hand and kisses me for the last time. I will remember that kiss to my dying breath.

Cole comes over. "Ready?" he says tearfully.

Finnick looks at me. I nod.

"Ready," he says.

Cole takes the berries and gives us each 3. I sit back to back with Finnick, neither of us wanting to watch the life leave the other.

Finnick takes my hand with his free hand and whispers, "I love you so much Katniss."

"I'll love you forever Finn." I reply. Tears cascade down my cheeks as I look at the berries in my hand.

Finnick's POV

"Together?" I ask her.

"Together."

Cole's POV

I watch as Finnick and Katniss put the berries into their mouths. It's as if it's in slow motion, this tragic moment, these two lovers trapped by the Capitols' cruel games.

In the end, I can't tell whether Finnick or Katniss dies first. The two cannons fire simultaneously.

I sit there, and cry and cry. Who knows how long I cried for. My two best friends in the world, sacrificing themselves for each other. Eventually, I manage to pull myself up. I stagger over to a patch of flowers. I pick a bunch of forget-me-nots for each of them. Then I walk over to their cold lifeless bodies. Their hands are still clasped together, and I leave them like that. I lay them both down. I run my fingers through their hair in a half-hearted attempt to comb it. I scatter the forget-me-nots all over them, winding them into Katniss' hair and tucking them into their clothes. I hope it will make them never forget each other. As I do so, I hum the song that Katniss sung to Finnick back in the cave, remembering the tune but not the words. Then I take the sleeve of my jacket and try to clean their faces, but just end up crying again. Eventually, I hear the hum of the Capitol hovercraft come to collect me as victor. I try to think of the positive things- I will finally be able to afford proper care and treatment for my granddad with my winnings. But even as the hovercraft carries me away from the arena, I think of nothing but Katniss and Finnick.

I'm cleaned up back in the city to be presented to the Capitol. I speak to noone, and show no sign of emotion on my face.

At the night of the presentation, I refuse to give a speech. I will not smile no matter what they say to me.

The interview gives me a chance to honour Katniss and Finnick, and remember them. I find out during the interview that the residents of District 4 and District 12 teamed together to pay the Capitol to not dispose of their bodies, to bring them out of the arena perfectly preserved, still holding hands.

I'm asked to the funeral of the pair, held in District 4. It was originally planned to be held in District 12, but so many people wanted to come to show their respect they needed a bigger venue which could only be found in District 4. A special coffin is made for them both to fit in. They're still in their original clothes because nobody could bear to break their hands apart, but someone has brushed their hair and washed their faces properly. Everyone who comes to the funeral puts a single forget-me-not in the coffin, the same flowers I used in the arena.

I give a speech at the ceremony, which I stayed up half the night writing, to get the perfect words. I never get to the end, breaking down in tears halfway through.

Then we travel to the small area where District 4 borders with District 12, and the coffin is buried with Katniss on the side of her district and Finnick on his. I cry as the coffin is lowered, remembering the two people who were so full of life and so in love with each other.

They ask me to come up with an inscription for the gravestone. I decide to tell it exactly as it is, and come up with a short inscription of seven words to send them to heaven.

_**Just two more victims of the Games.**_


End file.
